London fire as it happened: 12 residents confirmed dead and more fatalities expected after day of horror
Witnesses describe 'terrifying' scenes
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Your support makes all the difference.A huge fire has engulfed a large block of flats in London, killing at least a dozen people.
Hundreds of firefighters were sent to 24-storey Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, as large plumes of smoke billowed above the capital after the blaze broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Witnesses spoke of "terrifying" scenes, with some residents suggesting they heard no alarm go off when the fire began. At least 75 people are being treated at six hospitals across the capital.
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London Fire Brigade's Director of Safety & Assurance Steve Apter has said there still remain pockets of fire yet to be extinguished.
He added that the service was using drones to help assess the integrity of the building and help the fire service plan its next steps.
“We're still fighting the fire - the investigation's in its very preliminary stages," adding: "There are still pockets of fire yet to be extinguished in places particularly difficult to reach”.
He said progress had been hampered by a fractured gas main, which the safety director says “created quite a significant hazard," before adding that lessons learned from this incident would be borne out not just in London, but across the UK, and globally.
Emergency checks are to be carried out on tower blocks going through the same process of refurbishment as Grenfell Tower, a minister has said.
Policing and Fire Minister Nick Hurd said he wanted to provide reassurance to people living in other buildings as soon as possible.
“We have discussed with the Department for Communities and Local Government, local authorities and the fire service a process whereby we seek to identify towers that might have a similar process of refurbishment, run a system of checks so that we can, as quickly as possible, give reassurance to people,” he said.
↵The Metropolitan Police have urged that anyone concerned about a loved one call their casualty bureau — and keep trying if they don't get through the first time
London Fire Brigade has ruled out the danger of the Grenfell Tower collapsing, saying it is safe for the crews currently there.
“Thankfully any reported injuries to firefighters have been minor and they have been treated at the scene by London Ambulance Service crews,” it added.
The insulation material used in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower “will burn if exposed to a fire of sufficient heat and intensity”, according to its manufacturer Celotex.
The company confirmed that it supplied its RS5000 insulation for the £8.6 million renovation of the London tower block, where at least 12 people died and scores were injured.
Kensington and Chelsea Council has admitted receiving complaints over the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower after an action group said its warnings fell on “deaf ears” when it highlighted safety concerns.
While the cause of the huge blaze is not yet known, residents had been concerned about safety, and Grenfell Action Group said in a blog post in November “only a catastrophic event” would expose the issues.
Asked whether the council had received complaints and was acting on them, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea Borough, Nick Paget-Brown, said: “I think that's going to have to be looked at in even more detail during the investigation behind this.
“But it is perfectly true that Grenfell Tower underwent a major refurbishment programme starting about two and a half years ago to improve the hot water system, to improve the heating, to improve insulation, put in new windows, new external cladding, to improve the quality of life for people who were living there.
“Now clearly when you do that there are difficulties, problems, complaints, logistics to resolve and it is undoubtedly the case that the council received some complaints about the way the work was being conducted.
“But we will need to look much more closely at how much of that corresponds to the cause of today's fire.”
↵ ↵ ↵Emergency accommodation has been provided to 44 households affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, the local council has said.
Families with young children, elderly residents and those who are vulnerable have been given “immediate priority”, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) Council said on Twitter.
Kensington and Chelsea Council has thanked people for the many donated items following the fatal blaze on Tuesday night, but asked that they "please hold off" making further donations because they are unable to accept any more at present.
A council spokesman also thanked people who made “generous donations of food, clothing and other items”, but added: “We would ask you to please hold off for now as we have been inundated with useful items. When we need donations again we will update via our website and social media.”
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